Pickard, John (University of Cambridge)

Behind the Myths: The Foundations of Judaism, Christianity and Islam Pickard, John (University of Cambridge)

Publisher Marketing: There has never been a more important time for a study of the social, economic, and political origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the three important world religions that share a common root. This book adopts a Marxist, that is a materialist, view of human development, so it takes as its starting point the idea that gods, angels, miracles, and other supernatural phenomena do not exist in the real world and therefore cannot be taken as explanations for the origin and rise of these faiths. It looks instead at the material conditions at appropriate periods in antiquity and the social and economic forces that were at work, to outline the real foundations of these three doctrines. In doing so, it challenges the historicity of key figures like Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed. This is a unique book that draws on the research, knowledge, and expertise of hundreds of historians, archaeologists, and scholars to create a new synthesis that is both coherent and completely based on a materialist world outlook. It is a book written by an unbeliever for other unbelievers as a contribution to a discussion among atheists and secularists as to the real origins of the so-called Abramic faiths. It will be a revelatory read, even to those already firmly of an atheist or secularist persuasion, underpinning their nonreligious views, and it will provide a valuable resource for all those who might be coming to question the hold that organized religion has had on human society. Review Citations: Foreword 07/03/2013 (EAN 9781481783620, Paperback) BlueInk Review 04/17/2013 (EAN 9781481783620, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Pickard, John John Pickard is Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Cambridge and Chairman and Clinical Director of the Wolfson Brain Institute.